The Golden Core | Secrets of the Core #1

Chapter Eighteen - Part One

Without knowing exactly how long it had been since the slap, Phoenix only came to the basement room to give Winter food and water every couple of days. His change of clothes was the only way she could figure that much out. But that was all he did. There was no communication whatsoever. She was careful with the food she was given, doing her best to make it last as long as possible, yet her stomach still grumbled with every movement she made. Taking a turn for the worse, she never thought she'd end up here. No matter what, it was worth it. Standing up to Phoenix was one of the best things she could've done, though staring at these four concrete walls wasn't the best result of it.

Silently wishing for more food, even though she couldn't wait to dampen her tongue with the sweet drops of water she never thought she would miss, her mind curiously led toward her brother. Was Summer even looking for her? She hadn't heard anything from him for a while, though she didn't know exactly how long. He had to be looking for her; he loved her too much not to, at least that's what she kept telling herself.

Summer? she asked, hoping that he would respond. The desire to know what was happening ate at her. Would she ever really know what happened though? Even if her brother told her repeatedly that he tried his best to look for her when she finally became safe, she'd never know for sure. Sucking in a breath, she shook her head, wiggling her thumbs in circles. Now was not the time to doubt Summer. He'd come through for her, he had to.

An eternity passed with no word from Summer. Unable to figure out why he didn't respond, Winter's stomach did flips as the queasiness built up inside of her. Did Summer get caught? What if Phoenix already found out about him coming after her? She didn't want to picture what that would be like. For all she knew, Phoenix could've killed her brother. After all, he did the same thing to her father. A shudder ran through her, hoping that wasn't the case.

Startled, Winter jumped when the door knob jiggled. The door swung open, hitting the wall so hard that the room shook for a minute before she realized that could've been her dizziness.

"Get up, princess," he growled. "We've got things to accomplish today."

She didn't speak. Instead, she pushed herself against the concrete wall, not wanting to be near him. Something was certainly different, though. Phoenix wore a nice dark blue button down shirt with tan pants, which she never pictured him in. He was a shorts and t-shirt kind of guy.

"Let's go," he spoke, his voice louder this time. "We don't have a lot of time to waste."

No words came. Knowing she needed to say something, her mouth opened, but it resulted in nothing. Before she had a chance to think, Phoenix came closer, a bit too quick for her liking, and pulled her arm forcing her up. His grip was so tight she whimpered, though as soon as her tiny voice rang through the walls he lessened his hold on her. A red mark showed through the slips of his fingers. There went her dinner for the night.

It wasn't long until Winter finally gained a little courage to speak, though only due to the pull of her arm from Phoenix. As they stepped closer to the door of the basement, her feet almost sliding against the floor, she wondered if she would truly be free if they left this cold, dark room. But there was no way. It couldn't be that easy. "Where are we going?"

"That's none of your concern at the moment," Phoenix responded, twisting the door knob before pulling the door open. "Just follow me."

A breath of fresh air swam into Winter's nostrils like she had never smelled the air outside of her little torture room before, even though she had. It was a rare occurrence being let out of the room, yet she tried to pull herself forward. Stairs were the only thing in her sight, but she didn't care. They meant freedom. Phoenix yanked her back from her imaginary world, quickly realizing that she wasn't free, which sent her straight to the reality that she had no idea what was going to happen next.

Ascending the stairs, bare feet shivering with every step she took, Phoenix stopped at the bathroom to her right with his grip still lingering on her arm.

"Here," he spoke, walking away for a mere second to pick up what looked like a dress, still managing to keep an eye on her. "Go change into this."

Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the white walls of the living room before glancing back at Phoenix. "That?" The soft white dress came into her vision as he handed it to her. "I can't wear that." She backed up, realizing she was free of Phoenix's grasp. "Why?"

"Don't ask questions. Just take it. Go." He pushed the gown into her hands, then waved her off towards the bathroom. It felt like silk, almost slipping through her fingers. Staring at it before she closed the door, the light blue seemed as if it slowly faded into the white, a darker shade toward the top slowly getting lighter as it made its way down, with gold trim dancing around the edges in between. Though she had worn pretty outfits before, she couldn't remember ever seeing one like this. Deep down, her mind filled with excitement but she'd never let Phoenix see.

A quick turn toward the mirror resulted in a gasp as her face came into view. Dark brown waves were everywhere, tied up in multiple knots, and certainly longer than it used to be. Underneath her eyes lay dark circles, her cheeks thinner than normal. Raising her arm to touch them, she realized how skinny she was. What had Phoenix done to her? No longer was she a confident princess that everyone looked to for help; now, she was frail and scared, but more importantly, she was lonely. Visions of her brother soared through her mind once again. But it was no use to think of him now. There was nothing she could do to get to him. A laugh escaped her lips when she noticed Phoenix wasn't coming back for her. Knowing a shower would feel amazing, she didn't hesitate pulling back the curtain. The window on the wall let the sun shine in, the outside world just inches away. Would that be how she would escape?